Fifty years ago, windows were made on-site and required excessive time and expertise to cut the glass, cut and place wood molding to secure the window pane, and then caulking and painting of the window. Now windows arrive at the job site either completely or partially assembled, ready for installation into a rough opening left by the framing contractor. Not only are windows now quicker and easier to install, but in short, they are much better; providing better insulation, tighter fitting tolerances, better materials which last longer and function more smoothly.
Most, if not all of today's ceilings are custom fabricated on site. This is a very time consuming process, requiring on-site skilled labor and is very costly. Whether a ceiling is a tray ceiling, coffered ceiling or some other combination, the ceiling requires extensive effort and attention to detail. Dome ceilings are rarely utilized because of the skill required to produce symmetrical curves.
One of the few exceptions to a labor intensive process is a suspended ceiling with inset tiles utilized primarily in commercial buildings in which a suspension system is installed followed by removable acoustical tiles, typically 2′×4′ or 2′×2′ in size. The advantages of installation are obvious and the benefits and ability to replace the tiles in the future for a different look are far superior to old style “on site” fabrication methods.